The Election Commission of India (ECI) is likely to declare the schedule for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls on Monday for states heading to Assembly elections next year, including West Bengal.
A press conference will take place at 4:30 PM at the ECI headquarters in New Delhi, where Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar is likely to unveil the list of states that will undergo the revision exercise in the initial phase.
Although the ECI has indicated that the SIR will eventually take place nationwide, the immediate focus will be on states due for Assembly elections next year.
Following this pattern, the Commission is likely to announce SIR dates for West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Assam on Monday.
The electoral roll revision for the Union Territory of Puducherry follows the same timeline, and the ECI is likely to announce the schedule at Monday’s briefing.
The SIR process concluded in Bihar, which will hold a two-phase Assembly election next month.
In contrast to other states such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Assam, the SIR has sparked controversy in West Bengal, with major political parties sharply divided on the issue.
TMC Alleges Hidden NRC Agenda
The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has consistently opposed the exercise, alleging that it is a covert attempt by the Union government and the BJP to implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, argues that the TMC’s resistance stems from fears that the names of illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants might be removed from the voter rolls.
Meanwhile, the CPI(M)-led Left Front has maintained that while it supports the revision process in principle, it should not result in the exclusion of legitimate voters.
In West Bengal, the SIR has drawn criticism over the appointment of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), fuelling the ongoing political debate. The state last conducted a Special Intensive Revision in 2002, over two decades ago.
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